REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- State electricity firm (PLN) will soon compensate millions of customers affected by the hours-long power outage in Greater Jakarta and some West Java districts on August 4, the Trade Ministry's director general stated here, Tuesday.

Veri Anggrijono, the ministry's consumer protection and trade order director general, noted that the firm had made assurance of compensation being offered to at least 22 million customers, including homes and businesses. However, the repayment will be offered not in cash but in the form of a reduction in the bill for August period.

"We will automatically reduce the amount in the August bill to be paid in September. The compensation will amount to 895 billion rupiah (equivalent to 63 million US dollar)," the firm's West Java region director, Haryanto, remarked on a similar occasion.

A regulation imposed by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry stipulated that PLN must cut 20-35 percent of the customer's monthly bill in the event of a power outage for more than 10 percent of the total electricity services.

A major power outage affected homes, businesses, and public facilities in Greater Jakarta, Banten Province, and some regions of West Java for eight to 10 hours on August 4. Following the blackout, the National Police has begun its investigation into the incident.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika